Two Investment Fraud Scams Spell Prison for Milton Financial Advisor

Milton Financial Adviser Headed to Prison for Stealing Millions in Two
Separate Fraud Schemes - And His Own Church Was One of the Largest Investment
Fraud Victims

A Milton financial adviser is headed to prison for defrauding customers
and investors out of millions of dollars in two separate fraud schemes.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts,Arnett L. Waters, owner of A.L. Waters Capital, sold $839,000 worth of units in sham investment partnerships to at least
eight investors from 2007 through 2012. His own church, Faith Lutheran
Church in Quincy, was one of his largest victims.

Though he spent most of the money on personal and business expenses, Waters
lied and said the investments had generated large profits, which the investors
would receive in the near future. When federal investigators looked into
his activities, Waters lied and said no one had invested in the partnerships.

Starting in 2002, Waters also cheated customers out of millions of dollars
by selling them coins at 600% over market value. He also induced some
of his customers to pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars more to purportedly
broker sales for them.

Federal investigators said Waters conducted more than $8 million in fraudulent
transactions over the past ten years.

“The personal nature of this fraud, the effort and calculation necessary
to carry it out, and the defendant’s utter disregard for his victims
and the law makes this one of the most serious white-collar cases in Massachusetts
in recent memory,” said U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz.

“This crime, while not violent, had a profound and direct impact
on the lives of victims who lost life savings, retirement money, funds
for college educations, and funds meant for the benefit of the defendant’s
own church.”

Waters pleaded guilty to seven counts of securities fraud, six counts of
mail fraud, two counts of money laundering, and one count of obstruction
of justice on Nov. 29, 2012. On April 25, 2013, United States District
Judge Denise J. Casper sentenced him to 17 years in prison, followed by
3 years of supervised release. Waters also was ordered to pay more than
$9 million in restitution and forfeiture of ill-gotten gains.